Smartphone orders prompt takeaway sales boost

The surge in smartphone usage has had a knock-on effect on the takeaway industry, with sales forecast to hit £8 billion thanks in large part to people ordering online through websites and mobile apps.

Figures from Euromonitor International show that overall spending on pizza, curry and Chinese food is expected to grow by 28 per cent during this decade to £7.6bn a year, the Guardian reports.

It was noted that pizza firm Domino's is a strong example of this trend, as it posted a 21 per cent spike in quarterly sales to £200 million. A total of 75 per cent of these orders were made online – with 61 per cent of that figure made using mobile devices.

Chief executive officer of Domino's David Wild said that his business only took its first online order five years ago, but since then the ever-growing popularity of smartphones and media tablets like the Apple iPad have transformed the market.

"To have moved so far so quickly shows customers want to go about their business. The easier you make it to order, the more you will order," he commented.

He emphasised the benefits of online ordering through mobiles over conventional paper menus.

Older paper menus have to be sent out every month, but despite this, many customers would find an old menu lying around the house and use that. Not only could this potentially create issues with the order, but the customer would potentially lose out on the latest deals.

This is not the case with online ordering – whether through a website or a dedicated app – as the menu will always be up to date and display current offers.